The Angel and the Flower
by Yoruko Rhapsodos
Summary: It's been years since Tohru last saw her cousin. The same goes for the Mabudachi Trio and their best friend. What happens when they turn out to be the same person- Kagome Higurashi, and she comes back for good? How will the story change? Kag/Shi T/A
1. Chapter 1

Kyou: What are you making this those pairings for?

Yuki: I agree with Kyou on this one. It doesn't make any sense.

Ayame: Awe. Are Kyokyo and Yuki jealous?

Kyou: Shut up!

Yoruko: To answer your question, because I'm the author and what I say goes. So since I like these pairings, this is what I'm writing.

**Ch.1: The 14****th**** Zodiac**

It was breakfast time on a Thursday in the Sohma household. Kyou walked into the dining room, having gotten the mail. He was going through what there is. Then suddenly, he stopped and stared at an envelope for a second, then got one he had just looked at and compared the two. This made Shigure and Tohru look at inquisitively.

"You have a letter, Tohru. You too, Shigure- from the same person." Kyou said as he handed them their letters.

"Oh? Who from?" Tohru asked.

"It doesn't have a name." said Kyou, "Just a return address."

Shigure and Tohru opened the envelope they each were now holding and took out their letters. As they read them, Yuki noticed that both of their expressions changed from pleasantly surprised to happy and almost wistful to delighted. Shigure smiled widely- which looked suspiciously like one of his grins and therefore put Yuki on edge- and Tohru's eyes sparkled with excitement and she smiled brightly. Yuki and Kyou exchanged a look- they agreed enough- when it came to Tohru, Shigure, and Ayame, at least- to know that the other had essentially the same thought going through their head as they did: 'What's going on?' After all, considering Shigure's personality and the fact that Tohru is so innocent and even tempered that she liked people like Momiji, Shigure, or Ayame to the point that she seemed to have a soft spot for them- her friends being proof of this- they were both apprehensive and suspicious. Then Tohru squealed.

"I had no idea that you knew her, Tohru-kun, let alone were related to her." Shigure said, "Though now that I do know, I can't say that I'm surprised. You two are somewhat similar."

"Shigure-san- you... know Nee-chan?" Tohru asked.

"Will someone tell me what's going on already?" said Kyou.

"And who are you talking about?" asked Yuki.

"It's my cousin on my mom's side- Kagome Higurashi." explained Tohru.

"She recently found out about Tohru-kun's situation, and she's finally finished college. So she's moving nearby so she can be there for Tohru." Shigure said.

"How do you of all people know Honda-san's cousin?" Yuki asked suspiciously.

"How rude! For your information, she's only a few years younger than I am. We went to school together, and have been good friends since she was in Kindergarten. Her great grandmother on her mother's side also happens to have been a Sohma." said Shigure indignantly.

"So where is she staying? She can't stay here." said Kyou.

"There's a house nearby that she's going to move into. Starting this weekend, she'll be our neighbor. And she already knows about the curse, so no worries there."

said Shigure.

"Honda-san," said Yuki, "How is it that she only just found out about your mother when it's been a year now?"

"We've always been really close. But it's been a few years since I've seen her. We used to write all the time, but her letters got fewer and fewer until I was lucky to get one once or twice a month. Then half a year before Kaa-san died, we lost touch."

'They really are related.' thought Shigure, 'Only the two of them could manage to keep in touch with someone if the one of said people are as busy as Kagome has been.'

Yuki's eyes narrowed. "If you lost touch, then how did she find out that your mother is dead and you're staying with us?" 'It better not be one of Akito's tricks.'

"She always had a way of knowing or finding out things." Tohru answered, "But I don't know. I'm actually surprised this time."

"She probably found out from Ha-san or Aya," said Shigure, "Ever since graduating medical school and getting his doctor's license, Ha-san's been the only doctor the Higurashis use or trust given a choice." 'And according to Aya, even though she now usually refuses to wear skirts or dresses, she still rarely gets clothes from somewhere besides his shop without having been dragged on a shopping spree.'

"She knows Hatori-san and Ayame-san too?" Tohru asked.

"The four of us were very close- still are. In fact, some considered us the 'Mabudachi Quartet' instead of the 'Mabudachi Trio'." Shigure explained.

"... Would you please allow me to see your letter, Honda-san?" Yuki asked.

She handed him the letter. Kyou and Yuki read it. It said:

Dear Tohru,

How are you doing? I'm so sorry about Kyouko- I can't believe that something like that happened to her. I wish I'd known a lot sooner. I could have been there for you. You were seriously living in a tent? You silly thing, why didn't you come to us? We would have gladly taken you in. Luckily, however, things turned out all right. Better than that, from a certain perspective. The Sohma's, huh? It seems like we both have a habit of ending up in a world the likes of which we never thought existed. Shigure took you in, huh? He'd better appreciate you. Yuki-kun and Kyou-kun, too. Anyway, I've finally graduated from college and wrapped up some business (I'll tell you about it myself, and in person) so I'm moving nearby- the house closest to Shigure's, to be exact. I want to be closer to you and I need to keep an eye on you, after all. I should arrive two days after you get this letter. I'm looking forward to seeing you.

With love,

Kagome

PS: If you've already met Akito, don't let him get to you. He'll probably warm up to you once he gets to know you.

Yuki rose an eyebrow. Kagome seemed like... quite the character. She also seemed to know about the Jyunishi. What surprised him the most, though, was the post script. Was she actually someone who could stand Akito? He had a feeling that things would change yet again with Kagome Higurashi's arrival.

Kyou was surprised. Was this the same Kagome? If it was, Shigure was actually right. They _are_ similar. He hoped this was the same Kagome. It had been years since he last saw her. He watched Tohru out of the corner of his eye. That was good. He liked it when Tohru was happy. A smile suited her best.

'She must really love her cousin.' though Kyou, 'I've hardly ever seen her this happy.'

Shigure was grinning. He couldn't wait for Saturday. It was about time Kagome moved back here. He'd been missing his little angel terribly. Especially since he didn't see her as often after she'd moved onto her grandfather's shrine with her mother and Souta, and then almost not at all after she first fell down the well.

Shigure snickered quietly, remembering her reaction when her grandfather and the dog-eared pest of a boy shouted at him and tried to chase him out the second to last time he'd went to the shrine to visit. It had served them right, too. All he had done was put his arms around her from behind and say that if she was going anywhere, it would be with him to celebrate her birthday- mostly both to announce his presence and to break up the argument. Which made it Inuyasha's fault in his opinion. Besides, she had been happy- if her squeal of 'Shigure! You're here!' and her asking 'Where are you taking me?' were anything to go by. It had ended up badly for Inuyasha- especially after he tried to attack him after he suggested the two of them go to an amusement park for the weekend- sharing a room to save money, of course. Or dinner and dancing followed by a sleepover at his house. His mind wandered to the letter.

Dear Shigure,

How are you doing? It's been a while since I've seen you. I miss you. Stupid school. Stupid Inuyasha... Anyway, I heard that my aunt died a while ago, and that you took my cousin Tohru in after you found out that she was living in a tent. Silly girl, she's lucky that not only is she okay but that she met you. Anyway, now that I've finished with the quest, dealing with Inuyasha, and college, I find that I'm my own woman again. So I'm moving nearby, to be closer to all of you. I'll be there two days after you get this letter. Which you'll regret happening if I find that you seriously tried anything on Tohru. See you soon.

Yours truly,

Kagome

PS: Don't worry about Akito's reaction to Tohru.

Shigure chuckled again. Only Kagome would account for his slightly perverted nature (which she claimed to be nowhere as bad as her monk friend Miroku's) and have it occur to her that he rarely meant anything by his teasing or perverted comments. She could tell when he didn't really mean anything perverted while everyone else thought it was. They had always had a strange relationship. They were very close. He would flirt with her half jokingly, and she would flirt right back. Though he still didn't know if she meant anything by it... She was also kind and selfless for the most part yet had an attitude. Altogether, she's a remarkable woman. He'd really missed her.

**Two Days Later**

It was Saturday. Tohru, Yuki, Kyou, and Shigure were meeting Kagome at the train to help her move in. She already had someone apparently, who was bringing her things in a moving van. Yuki was there because he wanted to meet Tohru's cousin. Kyou wouldn't say why he was there, but Shigure knew that he was curious. Finally, the train came in.

"How do we know it's her?" Yuki asked.

"No need to worry;" said Shigure, "Tohru and I would no doubt recognize her anywhere. Besides, she'll probably find us."

"Tohru! It's been way too long. How have you been?" a female voice said enthusiastically.

The three guys turned towards Tohru and the voice. They saw a woman who looked to be around twenty three hugging Tohru from behind. She had long black hair that had a blue sheen to it which wasn't much shorter than Tohru's and midnight blue eyes. She was wearing a purple tank top, a black leather knee-length trench coat, black jeans, and black boots. Tohru looked up.

"Kagome Nee-chan!" she said, "I'm great. What about you? I missed you."

Kagome smiled and chuckled. "I missed you too. To answer your question, I'm doing good now that I'm here. You do look great- you're getting prettier and prettier every day."

Tohru blushed at the last comment, making Kagome chuckle again.

'Modest as ever, I see.' she thought.

All of a sudden, she noticed Yuki out of the corner of her eye. He had his eyes narrowed at her suspiciously.

"Ah! You must be Yuki-kun. I'm Kagome. It's nice to meet you."

"... The pleasure is mine." he replied.

Suddenly she was behind Kyou, one arm loosely wrapped around his shoulders and the other on his head, giving him a noogie. She was also grinning- Shigure suspected it was partly due to the light blush on Kyou's cheek.

"Kyou-kun! It's been a long time. How have you been?" she asked.

"It's nice to see you too, Kagome. Now please let go of me." Kyou replied. 'It really is her.'

Kyou had learned from experience that one of the worst things one could do around Kagome was be rude. So Kyou just glared at the look Yuki was giving him. The damn rat had an attitude as bad as he did- just in a different way. Kyou couldn't wait until Yuki slipped around Kagome. His reaction to her temper- and the kind of thing that tended to set it off- would be amusing. In fact, Kyou had a feeling that Haru- either black or white- would find it amusing too.

"Oi! What about me? You haven't forgotten about your favorite author, have you?" said Shigure.

Kagome looked around. "Last time I checked, JRR Tolkien is dead. And I don't see his ghost anywhere, either. Do you?" she said.

"Kage-chan!" Shigure whined, "That's mean! Have you been hanging out with Ha-san too much?"

Kagome chuckled. "I'm just teasing you, Gure. I could never forget about you."

Shigure 'pounced' on Kagome, giving her a hug.

"I've missed you, Kagome-chan! You were gone for far too long." he said.

Kagome returned the embrace and her eyes softened. Both were now giving gentler, more genuine smiles.

"I missed you too, Shigure." Kagome said.

'How can you stand him?' Kyou and Yuki thought at the same time, not realizing that she was hugging him.

Then they proceeded to jump back and glare at each other as if knowing that the other had thought the same thing. Tohru started panicking, worried that they'd start fighting. Kagome and Shigure also noticed. Kagome rose and eyebrow.

"Are these two always like that, Shigure?" she asked.

"They tend to be worse, actually." Shigure answered, "Though they've actually improved since meeting Tohru."

Kagome started giggling. It reminded her of Tom and Jerry or Inuyasha and Sesshomaru… or Inuyasha and Kouga.

"What's so funny?" asked Shigure.

"If I hadn't seen Tom and Jerry, I'd think that Yuki-kun thinks that he's the dog instead of the rat the way the two of them fight- a lot like the stereotype for cats and dogs."

Shigure chuckled. "They do, don't they?"

"A-ano. Excuse me, but shouldn't we get going? We don't want to miss the moving van." said Tohru.

Kagome smiled. "That's true. We wouldn't want to keep them waiting, now would we?"

**Later, at Kagome's new house**

The group of five had just arrived at Kagome's house. Yuki and Kyou were surprised when they saw the house- one that they thought that he Sohmas owned but didn't use. They couldn't help but wonder just how many Sohmas Kagome knew, and what she was to them. How did she get a hold of this house? Just as they reached it, a moving van pulled into the driveway. The three teens- and Shigure also, to a lesser extent- were surprised at who got out of the van.

"Ha-san! I didn't know that you would be here." said Shigure.

"Well, I knew that Kagome would need someone responsible to help her move in. So since she wanted to know how to get to her house from the train station so that she could visit her family, I offered to drive the van for her." Hatori said.

"Ha-san! Don't be so mean." Shigure whined.

"How else will I keep you in line when you're being so ridiculous?" Hatori deadpanned.

"Now, now. Hatori. There's no need to be so hard on him. Give Shi-kun at least a bit of a break." said Kagome.

"Whatever. Let's just get started." said Hatori.

"Kage-chan! Why didn't you tell me you were coming today?" said a voice that made Yuki and Kyou tense half in fear half in annoyance.

'Not him.' they both thought.

"Ayame!" Kagome said as she was 'hug attacked' by said snake jyunishi, "It's so good to see you! And I thought Hatori would tell you."

Ayame pouted, then pouted deeper as he noticed something. "Kagome-chan, why aren't you wearing one of my outfits?" he asked.

"Do you really expect me to wear something of yours? Especially when I'm moving?" she replied.

Ayame pouted again, anime crying on Shigure's shoulder about how Kagome was as mean as Hatori. Shigure patted his back, comforting him. Hatori just smirked. Kagome always had been the sane one out of those three… for the most part.

"Ah, come on, Aya. I'm only teasing you- mostly. Besides, I didn't want to ruin anything you made." she said.

Hatori, Kyou, and Yuki mentally sighed in relief when she successfully got Ayame to stop pouting.

"Can we get started already?" Kyou grumbled.

Kagome chuckled. "Kyou-kun has a point. We don't want to stand around here all day, do we?"

She then headed to the moving van. The others soon followed. After they were done, Kagome invited them all to stay over for dinner. Everyone was tired and Kagome refused to let Tohru cook, so they ordered pizza.

"Higurashi-san-" Yuki said.

"Kagome." she interrupted.

"Pardon?" Yuki said, confused.

"Please call me Kagome. Higurashi-san would be my mother." she said.

"All right. Kagome-san, then. How is it you can hug us?" Yuki said.

"You mean the curse? It's simple. My great grandmother was a Sohma, and I have the abilities of a miko. The two combined probably makes me immune- or at least, that's what I think. It could be the fact that I'm actually part of the Zodiac also. Either way, the fact that I've learned to combine said abilities helps- I usually never have to worry about the curse."

"What do you mean?" asked Kyou.

"I'm the fourteenth Zodiac- the fox. But my Sohma blood being so diluted makes my curse weaker. That- or it's negated by a significant amount of reiki, or spirit energy." Kagome said.

"Kagome… what exactly were you doing? All this time after you moved, you still wrote or visited all the time- until the letters just stopped five years ago." Kyou said.

Kagome sighed. "It all started on my fifteenth birthday, eight years ago. I was headed to school when I noticed Souta, my brother, in the doorway of the well house located on the shrine we lived on. I asked him what he was doing- we weren't allowed in there. He said that Buyo, our cat, had gotten in there. I was helping him find Buyo when a creature that I later learned was a demon called Mistress Centipede pulled me down the well and I ended up in the Feudal Era. The village's miko, Kaede, mistook me for her late older sister Kikyo, the previous miko, at first, then claimed that I'm her reincarnation- which I've always believed to be a bunch of bull. I then met a dog-eared boy named Inuyasha who was half dog demon, half human, and at the same time learned that I had had a jewel called the Shikon no Tama in my side. To make a long story short, I broke the jewel trying to retrieve it from a crow demon and ended up having to travel back and forth through time and across Feudal Japan retrieving the shards. Along the way we were joined by an orphaned fox demon kit named Shippo, a perverted and cursed monk named Miroku, a female taijiya, or demon slayer named Sango, and her two-tailed cat demon companion Kirara. There was also Inuyasha's full demon half brother Sesshomaru- who couldn't stand Inuyasha and was plain out hated by Inuyasha and a wolf demon who took forever to get the hint that I wasn't interested named Kouga. Our nemesis for a good part of the quest was Naraku; a human bandit turned half demon. Then things changed five years ago. By the time I'd finally finished the quest a year later… I'd lost contact with Kyou for some reason. I tried to keep contact with everyone… but between college and tying up loose ends on the other side of the well in Feudal Japan, I failed. Which I apologize for. Though it doesn't help that two Sohmas moved during this time without telling me."

At the last part, Shigure and Kyou looked sheepish.

"Sorry…" said Kyou.

"I apologize, Kagome." Shigure said.

Kagome smiled. "It's all right." she said.

"It's really that time? We'd better be going. Let's go, Tohru-san. I'll help you study for the test." Yuki said.

"All right. We'll see you tomorrow, Kagome-chan!" said Tohru.

With that, the three teens got up and started to leave.

"Are you coming, Shigure-san?" asked Tohru.

"You kids go on ahead." said Shigure.

They turned to leave. But right before he walked out the door, Kyou- who was the last one to leave- paused.

"You're… not leaving again, are you?" asked Kyou.

Kagome's eyes softened. "No, I'm not. Now that I'm finally back, I'm here to stay." she said.

"Good." Kyou said. Then he left.

"Well now that the kiddies are gone, we can get down to business." Shigure said.

"Indeed!" said Ayame, "We have catching up to do."

"Calm down, you two." said Hatori. They complied.

"Kagome-chan, what happened? After you graduated from high school, you were on the other side of the well for a whole year." Ayame said.

Kagome's expression darkened.

"A lot happened." she said.

"Such as?" prompted Shigure.

"You already know that I'd become better acquainted with Sesshomaru, who had been training me. You also know that I had befriended Bankotsu, Jakotsu, and Suikotsu, who were all that was left of the Band of Seven because of Renkotsu. It all started during winter break right before I graduated. One day, when I'd been left all alone except for Shippo, I' ran into Naraku. We were taking a walk and there he was, in the middle of a clearing- and obviously in no condition to fight or even be a threat. He wasn't injured; no, Naraku just seemed upset. I talked to him. It turns out that we were mistaken about him. Naraku had been a single demon whose normal form appeared mostly human who had fused with Onigumo because he pitied him. But Onigumo locked him away once they were fused, and took the habit of absorbing demons to increase his power. Naraku was still as much a part of the being, though, and could not stay dormant for long. Naraku regretted what he had done. So he tried to get rid of Onigumo and the other demons. But to do that he seemed to need the Shikon no Tama. At that point, Onigumo was almost always dormant- Naraku had been steadily gaining strength. I felt sorry for him. I also knew that Naraku wasn't actually so bad and that everyone deserves a second chance. So I agreed to help. When I told everyone else- except Inuyasha, who had been MIA therefore most likely with or searching for Kikyo- agreed with me. Inuyasha had been acting weird for a while, so I knew something was up… but I was still surprised…"

"What did he do?" asked Hatori.

"He betrayed us," she said, "It turns out that he was worse than even Sesshomaru knew or thought, and he had never had a very high opinion of Inuyasha even when he was a child. He'd been using us all along. When I got back after I had graduated, Inuyasha attacked us. He failed to kill us because he had underestimated all of us- especially me- but got away with my jewel shards. He ran to the waiting Kikyo, who he'd had make it so that I was stuck in the Feudal Era, they left. Soon after, Naraku, Sesshomaru, and even Kouga joined the group. As a last resort, I managed to purify Onigumo and the demons from Naraku. And so the tables were turned. Instead of chasing Naraku, we were chasing Inuyasha- who was harder to catch than you might think no thanks to Kikyo. Finally, after a year, the quest was over and the well unsealed."

Unnoticed by Kagome, Shigure had to hold back a growl and had unconsciously clenched his hands into fists. Ayame and Hatori had, though. The action made Ayame raise an eyebrow at Shigure, who shook his head, signaling not to say anything.

"That must have been hard." Hatori said, "You never even had a crush on Inuyasha, but you had seen him as a good friend."

"It's no surprise to me- I knew from the start that the puppy couldn't be trusted. Especially after having met him." Ayame huffed angrily.

"Now it's my turn- how's Akito?" Kagome said.

The three men exchanged a look. Kagome got a light feeling of dread. What had happened?

"He's… changed." said Hatori.

"Without you around, he took a page out of his mother's book." said Shigure.

"Hatori… did Akito do that to your eye?" Kagome asked.

Hatori looked away and sighed. Then he nodded. There was no point in lying to her. Even if he wanted to or tried to, it would do no good. She knew him too well.

"What happened?" she asked.

Hatori told her. Kagome was miffed. How could she? If Kana truly loved him, the incident should have ended differently. But she broke; therefore Kagome doubted Kana had ever truly loved Hatori.

"Don't worry, Hatori- you'll find someone better. If she reacted like that, she wasn't right for you. I'm glad that it doesn't depress you, though."

"That means a lot. And… I'm glad that someone understands." Hatori said, "It's late. We'll be leaving now."

"All right. See you." said Kagome.

"Ja ne, Kagome-chan." said Ayame.

"I'll see you tomorrow." Shigure said, kissing Kagome on the cheek as he left.

Even after they left, Kagome stared at Shigure then the door, a hand on her cheek. Shigure hadn't noticed her reaction, but Hatori had seen it out of the corner of his eye.

**Outside**

"My, my, Shi-chan. How long has that been going on?" Ayame asked.

"What do you mean, Aya?" said Shigure.

"You're in love with our angel, aren't you?" said Ayame.

"Use your head, Ayame. They've been dancing around each other since she was in Jr. High." said Hatori.

"…Let's pretend for a minute that it's true. So what if I am in love with Kagome?" said Shigure.

"Why haven't you told her yet?" asked Ayame.

"I'll admit that there's something between us but what if she doesn't feel the same? I couldn't bare it if things changed between us in a bad way. She means too much to me." Shigure said.

"She's why you started writing, isn't she?" Hatori stated in a rhetorical question.

They all knew that it's true. It had affected them all when Kagome was gone. No one more so than Shigure, even if most didn't notice a difference in his attitude. They thought that Akito was the most changed. They were wrong. Shigure had always had a darker side to his personality that he hid away. Shigure had also always had a gift for story-telling. When they were in school, Shigure would usually use this to keep them out of trouble if they did something. Though if it seemed like it wouldn't work Hatori would talk their way out of trouble. Kagome loved his stories, she would always ask him to tell her one of his stories. So when it suddenly had been a long time since he had last seen Kagome, he started writing in hope that she would find and pick up one of his books.

You see, what Ayame said was true. Shigure _**did**_ love Kagome. Shigure had realized his feelings in high school, just after she had started Jr. High. They already often teased each other, but that was when the flirting had become a regular thing and started to be at least half serious. It actually meant something. Though, Hatori suspected that it had meant something to Kagome since it started. It had been obvious to both him and Ayame that the two had feelings for each other since before either had realized it. Ayame had been wanting to do something to get them together for years. But Hatori wouldn't have it. He knew that they would confess eventually. Though, it still hasn't happened. He supposed that one of them just needed a bit of a push.

_ "You know the answer as well as I do." Shigure said._

_ "Just make sure that you tell her soon. She won't wait forever, you know." said Hatori._

_ "You sound so sure that she'll return my feelings." said Shigure._

_ "Shi-chan, the flirting between the two of you has meant something to her at least as long as it's meant something to you." said Ayame._

_ "Not to mention the fact that you're the only male that she's ever flirted with in any way, either seriously or purely as playful banter." added Hatori._

_ "…" Shigure didn't say anything at first. "Later!" _

_ Then he left. _

_ 'They're right.' he thought, 'It's high time that I told her. I'll talk to her as soon as we're alone.'_

_ "What do you think, Ha-san?" Ayame asked._

_ "He can be almost as ridiculous as you, but he's no idiot, and he knows that we're right. Give it a little more time. They'll probably be a couple before you know it." Hatori replied._

_ "How do you think Akito will react?" asked Ayame, "You know how he is nowadays."_

_ "They should be fine. Akito cares about both of them. He just wants them happy. In fact, he used to complain that they were taking too long to confess." Hatori said._

_ "Is that so? I'm not surprised. Like Tohru-kun, Kagome-chan has a gift where she can touch any heart- provided she's given a chance and said person actually listens to what she's saying." _

_ "Well, I'd better head home. Good night, Ayame." said Hatori._

_ "Good night, Ha-san." replied Ayame._

_ Then they parted ways. Neither knowing just how correct Hatori was. Or that the arrival of Kagome back into their lives changed the course of the future. For not only will certain events be different, but two hearts that otherwise would barely even come in sight of one another would come to be closer than anyone would ever have guessed._

_**Owari**_


	2. Chapter 2

Yoruko: Sorry it's been so long. When I actually work on updates I tend to concentrate on The Female Regulars & my series of oneshots Amore.

Kyou: What's with that stupid title anyways?

Yoruko: I wanted something that fit a romance and also wasn't like the usual titles for the series of oneshots staring Kagome.

Shigure: That makes sense. After all, originality is very important when it comes to writing.

Yoruko: Yup! Momiji, if you please?

Momiji: Sure! Yoruko-chan doesn't own anything you recognize.

Yoruko: Thank you, Momiji.

Momiji: You're welcome.

Kagome: Shouldn't we get on with the story?

Yoruko: True.

**Ch. 2: It's About Time!**

Kagome rolled over in her sleep, trying to avoid the sunlight. She'd had trouble falling asleep last night. She was thinking about Shigure. It was strange- all of her friends that truly knew and listened to her that weren't Sohmas had expected her to end up with Hatori if she ended up with one of her best friends. (Ayame, of course, being out of the question- he was a really nice guy, but not her type- besides, they just didn't click like that.)

Well, except Ayumi, who after her friendship temporarily fell apart with Yuka and Eri after she finally got fed up with all of the attempts to set her up with Hojo and told them off stayed by her, apologizing for being a bad friend. Eventually, she realized that Kagome couldn't have ever really been sick except with a cold or something. So she admitted that something came up when she disappeared on her fifteenth birthday and that she ended up having to travel with some other friends she had made to take care of something. She still stood by her. Ayumi had always said during girl time where Kagome actually let herself be submitted to boy-talk that if Kagome ended up with one of the Mabudachi Trio she thought that it would be Shigure.

Her family and her other friends all thought that she would fall Sesshomaru or Naraku after it was made clear that she not only never had romantic feelings for Inuyasha but he betrayed them, but accounted for if she ended up falling for someone else instead it would be one of her three best friends and thought that it would be Hatori. But that was never the case. He was nothing more than a friend who was like the older brother that she never had. No, even when she was only a child the only guy who she could ever see in a romantic sense was Shigure, even before her interest in boys and romance and her crush on him. Yes, you heard her right- she had had feelings for Shigure since they were children, her about to approach her pre-teens. They had always had a connection on a deeper level than their friendship with Hatori and Ayame. They had both simply failed or refused to realize and acknowledge this until Kagome's first year of Jr. high. That was when Kagome noticed something subtly different in Shigure's flirting with her… and the way he looked at her sometimes, with that expression on his face that just about took her breath away. All three had always and would always be there for her, she knew it- they had proven that more than once, the real proof starting when her father had died. All three were handsome- most of the Sohmas she had met were unusually good looking- but there was just something different about Shigure.

If anyone were to actually ask if she loved Shigure, she would not deny it. She did love Shigure- very much. If the question they actually bothered to ask was either if there was something between them or if they were dating, she would be honest- yes, there was something between them but they weren't a couple. (Yet, anyway.) Oh, yes- she could tell that the feeling was mutual, that he felt what he felt. There had always been a spark between them that they just hadn't noticed for a while, a spark that they had felt at times since their early teens. And the moments they sometimes had when alone or practically alone… if it hadn't been for her 'quest' and misadventures in Feudal Japan she knew that the two of them would have been a couple by the time she graduated, they would probably even be engaged by now or even married. What was between them was different from other teens, even other couples in general.

If what was between them was mutual, one might ask her why she hadn't confessed or done anything to get them together yet. If he didn't seem like he was going to confess any time soon, then surely she should take the initiative. But she even had an answer to that: she hadn't seen him that much since she started time travelling, and she wouldn't even if that had never happened. Yes, she had been able to tell for a long time now that Shigure could feel whatever was between them since before they could properly put a name to it, just like she could. But she wouldn't make the first move, no matter what. She wanted- needed- him to move first, to know how exactly he felt and if he felt as strongly for her as she did him.

Giving up, Kagome rolled out of bed. It was about time she got up- if she wanted to make breakfast instead of Tohru, she needed to hurry. It was the second day since she'd moved it, and there was no way she would let Tohru cook for her- so she would make Tohru and the boys breakfast before Tohru, Kyou, and Yuki left for school.

**At Shigure's house**

It was still pretty early, if anyone was up yet they were probably getting ready. So Kagome snuck in, and made her way to the kitchen to make breakfast. Naturally, Tohru was the first down. She started to enter the kitchen, but stopped short in the doorway.

"Nee-san? What are you doing?" she asked.

"I'm making breakfast. There's no way I'm letting you cook when all you should be worried about is getting ready for school." Kagome said.

"Bu-but I don't mind. I don't want you to go to all of the trouble!" said Tohru.

"No buts, Tohru. It's no trouble at all. Besides, you're still just a kid in a way- you need to relax more and have some fun." said Kagome.

"Kagome's right, Tohru-kun. You're not a maid. You don't have to work so hard. If Kyou and Yuki can't keep their own rooms clean or take care of their own lunches for school then it's their problem. Not that I blame them- nothing they could come up with could possibly compare."

"Quit rambling, you stupid dog." said Kyou.

"Kyou, I have a point and you know it." said Shigure.

"Yeah, whatever."

"So where's Yuki-kun?" asked Kagome.

Just then, Yuki stumbled into the dining area, where they had all made their way because Kagome was done making breakfast. Of course, he was half asleep as usual. Kagome rose an eyebrow at the site.

"Not a morning person I take it?" she commented.

Kyou snorted. "That's an understatement. The worst part is he's at his best when he's like this."

"At his best?" Kagome questioned.

"Ayame probably told you, but Yuki started taking martial arts lessons a couple of years after Kyou and Haru. He's unusually good, and Kyou has yet to manage to defeat him. However, a sneak attack when he's like this won't do any good- he's at his strongest half asleep." Shigure explained.

"Ah."

"That's not the worst of it, Kagome! The damn rat is called The Prince or Prince Yuki at school, gets straight As without putting in any effort, has a fan club that Hanajima and Uotani say won't leave Tohru alone, and he acts like everyone except Tohru is beneath him or something. And the damn rat keeps forcing me to eat leeks."

'In other words… while Ayame is like a king or a prince, Yuki is a dark prince famous at his school for his 'perfection'.' Kagome thought.

Just then, Yuki kicked at Kyou without warning. He was about to go through a wall yet again. Destroying Shigure's house yet again. But something happened that no one accounted for. Kagome caught Kyou. Yuki looked at her, clearly surprised, perhaps even shocked.

"What was that for, you damn rat?" Kyou shouted.

"That was for running your mouth, stupid cat." Yuki retorted.

Kagome hit Yuki on the head. "Stop that. Kyou is a bit hot-headed, and still needs to learn how to react to things, but he is not stupid. You look a lot like Ayame, but you're certainly nothing like him, and not all the ways you're different from him are good ways."

Yuki's eyes widened. What was she implying? Kagome noticed the look. She turned to Shigure.

"No one's talked to him or scolded him about his attitude before, has he?" she said.

"You've met his mother, and you know what sort of methods He would use if taking a page out of Her book." Shigure said.

"… So in other words… you're saying that he's got some complex or something and thinks that his life was so miserable when it should be a known fact- proven by Tohru- that there's always someone worse off than you are?" she deadpanned. 'Great. My life turned into an anime, switching from one kind to another.'

"Please refrain from speaking about me as if I'm not here." Yuki said.

"… And you're supposed to be your school's Mister Popular with a fangirl problem?" Kagome said.

"Um… It's true, Nee-chan. There's even a Prince Yuki Fan-club." Tohru said.

"...Shigure."

"Yes, Kagome?"

"Remind me never to bring a wooden sword or something if I ever go to their school."

"Isn't that a bit harsh?" Shigure asked.

"No. I know fangirls. They probably give Tohru problems for being so close to Yuki-kun, their beloved so-called prince." Kagome said, "And I want to be properly prepared to deal with them."

Tohru mentally panicked at that, but didn't say anything. She didn't want anyone hurt but knew that it probably wouldn't do much good trying to talk Kagome out of it. Kyou just sweat-dropped, somewhat used to Kagome's methods when it came to people she cared about being bullied or hurt. She was the one who beat up the only bullies to ever try to pick on him because of his hair color, after all. Yuki looked somewhat shocked but then also sweat-dropped.

Shigure, who knew her best and therefore knew full well that after her time in the Feudal Era she wouldn't take any nonsense from anybody, only shook his head. If someone messed with her or someone she cared about there would be hell to pay and no way to escape it. Nor did he think that it was over-kill. Contrary to what those who knew him may think because of his fondness for girls/perverted nature, he did not care about what happened to those girls. He was a man and even he thought that they gave women a bad name. If Kagome ever thought punishment in the form of violence/physical pain was what they needed, then Shigure knew that whatever they had done will have made them deserve it.

The rest of the morning before the trio of high school students left passed with the semi-chaotic peace that was the norm for Kagome, Tohru, and the Sohmas. Yuki, who only knew Tohru's cooking and food that came from a restaurant now that he was away from the compound, had clearly been surprised that Kagome's cooking was at least as good as Tohru's. Kagome waved it off, saying that it would only make sense- she'd started learning to cook earlier than Tohru had (her mother insisted) and she was also older, so she had more experience. After leaving, the three teens got their things together and left for school.

Kagome shook her head. "They must be a handful. It seems like Kyou and Yuki rarely listen to you, even when they realize or should realize that you're being serious. And Tohru's a good girl, but she pushed herself to hard and tends to overreact a lot.

Shigure just chuckled. "They rarely even pay attention to what I'm saying. They seem to be under the impression that I'm only capable of being perverted or joking around. And Tohru… well, I try to get her to go easier on herself, but I've learned that she rarely listens when it comes to something like that. She even thinks that it's her fault that her mother died, you know."

Kagome looked up from her drink. "What?"

"She seems to think that she died because she slept in and couldn't see her off. She refuses to take it easier at work or with school because she refuses to let anyone else pay and she seems to think that missing just one or two days if she's not feeling well can hinder her chances of graduating like she promised her mother." Shigure explained.

"Poor Tohru. I wish Kyouko would have let us help her out if not move in with us."

"Kyouko sounds like a remarkable woman, the way Tohru describes her. Obviously very wise, from the things Tohru says she said. But she also seems like she was very proud. Her desire to make up for her mistakes a teenager probably got in the way of her letting your mother help out." Shigure said.

Kagome's bangs were hiding her eyes somewhat now. "She was remarkable. Fun-loving and unusually kind, yet hardworking and wise beyond her years. She was someone who understood just about anybody. Tohru couldn't have gotten a better mother, even if she ever thought about asking."

Shigure moved from his seat, going to Kagome and pulling her into his arms.

"…Shigure?"

"It's all right Kagome. You're here for her now, you came as soon as you knew, and that's all that matters. She'll be all right. She has you now and she already has quite a few Sohmas ready to be there for her or protect her as needed even though it hasn't been very long. And… I'm here for you." He said the last part quietly, any quieter and she would have had trouble hearing him.

She looked up at him. He had an expression on his face that was familiar, yet different from any that she'd ever seen before. "Gure?"

She just looked too beautiful, and he couldn't stand the sad look on her face. Shigure couldn't help himself anymore. He'd already put it off for far too long. He grasped her chin in his hand gently, leaned down… and kissed her. Her eyes widened for a moment before closing and she responded. The kiss was chaste, but so sweet and better than either had imagined.

"Shi… gure?" He knew what she was asking.

"Kagome… You might already know… we know better than anyone that we've always had something between us… but… I've waited far too long, and I can't hold myself back any longer. I love you."

She leaned up and kissed him on the cheek. "I love you too, Shigure."

"Please say you'll be mine."

"Silly Shigure… I already am. I always was."

And they both knew that it was true. They'd always had a connection, and had realized it a bit before she was even in Jr. high. They had realized by the time she fell down the well that they had feelings for one another, somehow being able to tell that the feeling was mutual. And they had long since realized that they'd found their soul mate, the one they were meant to be with, and said person had been there all along.

The two cleaned up, then made their way to the living room to watch movies, just enjoying each other's presence and the fact that they were finally together with the person that they loved. Yes, both had waited far too long indeed.

**Owari**

Yoruko: There you go! Next chapter, the hot spring trip and Tohru's meeting with Akito. How will things be different now that Kagome's in the picture, changing the story? Find out next time!

Tohru: That was wonderful, Yoruko-chan! The ending was so sweet.

Kyou: A bit short, wasn't it?

Yoruko: I was going to include the hot springs trip in this chapter, and a certain something I've had planned out for a while, but I decided that it's better this way.

Kyou: Whatever.

Yoruko: Ja ne, minna! Hope you enjoyed it.


	3. Chapter 3

Kyou: Yoruko, I don't get why you're pairing Tohru with Akito of all people.

Yoruko: Well, for reasons unknown to me, that pairing (in fanfics that ignore the weird plot twist of Akito turning out to be a girl in the manga like I intend to do in everything I write that includes Fruits Basket) has always intrigued me for some reason.

Kagome: I read Fruits Basket, and aren't you mixing up the timeline? At this point this story is at, Ayame still hasn't shown up.

Yoruko: That's on purpose!

Yuki: … Why anyone would bring him of all people in earlier is beyond me.

Yoruko: Be nice, Yuki-san!

Very Important Author's Note: I am purposely changing around the timeline! In my version for this fanfic, I'm pretending that Ayame showed up under guise of meeting Tohru so he could attempt to patch things up between him and Yuki sometime between Tohru meeting Haru and Valentine's Day. It fits the story better this way with what I intend to do. If you have trouble tolerating my messing with the canon timeline and altering what happened in canon a little, then I suggest you turn back or PM me for my reasons. I won't list them here because it would include slight spoilers.

Warnings: light violence, (mostly via Kyou, Yuki, and sometimes Haru) light language, (mostly because of Kyou) slight deviation from canon, blatant ignoring of the fem!Akito plot twist, mix of details from the manga & anime, (ex: in the anime, as far as I can tell Akito is supposed to actually be a man, while in the manga whoever wrote the plot eventually decided that Akito is really a woman.) less dark! Akito

**Chapter 3: **

**An Overdue Reunion **

**& A Fateful Meeting**

Tohru couldn't help but smile. Tohru was having a very good day. First, Kagome Nee-chan showed up unexpectedly that morning before Kyou, Yuki, and she had to head to school. Then she did unexpectedly good on her test. At work, Momiji showed up to keep her company. He was even helping her, which he didn't need to do but Tohru appreciated it all the same.

"Great, the exams are finally over! At last, I can sit back and relax!" said Momiji as they washed the floor.

"Yes, then its Spring Break and after that... A new semester... Time sure does fly by." Tohru said.

"Yep!" Momiji agreed, "Oh yes, I'll go with you to Shigure's place today!"

"Ah?" Tohru was surprised.

"Dad and Shigure both said it was okay." Momiji continued, not realizing she was only confused, "What's the matter...? I have a present for you, see!"

"A present...! But why!" Tohru was really surprised now.

Momiji wasn't telling yet, though. "Ho ho! Now about that... Ah! I'll tell you when we get back!"

Tohru didn't get presents often. "Oh, I'm really excited!"

It wasn't even two hours later that Tohru was done for the day and they had arrived at Shigure's.

"Guten Abend!" Momiji said in greeting, (AN: German for Good Evening, according to the manga.) "This is my first time at your house, Shigure! This is so exciting!"

"Oh my, you're really here! It's so late at night, but you're as lively as ever." Shigure said.

"Who's the pretty lady next to you, Shigure?" Momiji asked, noticing Kagome.

Kagome smiled, he seemed like he was older than he looked but he was so cute! Kinda like Shippo, actually... "I'm Kagome Higurashi. You are?"

"I'm Momiji! You know about us, right?" Momiji said, having heard her mentioned by the older members of the zodiac a couple of times.

Kagome grinned. "Yup."

"Yay!" Momiji exclaimed, jumping towards Kagome, "That means I can hug you~"

Kagome caught him, and snuggled him like the adorable child he appeared to be. Just then, Kyou came in with a towel around his neck.

"What the? It got so damn noisy when you arrived." Kyou said.

"Ah! Did you just get done showering, Kyou?" Momiji noticed.

After that, after Kyou's temper caused him to make a fuss, Kagome and Tohru got some snacks. Yuki was just exasperated at how noisy it was. Eventually, though, as they all finished their snacks, the topic turned to the reason behind Momiji being there in the first place.

"Momiji, did you tell them why you're staying here yet?" Shigure asked, having told Kagome already.

"Hm, not yet!" Momiji said, "Tohru, I have a question for you!"

"Ah, please ask away then!" she said.

"What is today's date!" Momiji asked.

"Um... the 15th, isn't it?" Tohru answered.

"That's right! March the 14th is White Day, but even though it's one day late... I plan on giving you a "Hot Spring Touring Trip" tomorrow!"

**"What... !"** Tohru was really shocked.

"Let's call it 'Momiji and Tohru's Relaxing Hot Spring Trip'!" Momiji said cheerfuly.

"Where is this hot spring?" Tohru asked, curious.

"Doesn't someone in the Sohma family work at a hot spring?" Kagome asked, knowing she was right when Yuki seemed to recognize what she was talking about.

Then Shigure, Kagome, and Momiji had to convince Tohru to go and take the chance to relax. Reminding her that her mom would be happy as long as she was helped a lot. Plus how cute and cheerful Momiji was... Then when Momiji said Yuki and Kyou were coming too, he was having trouble getting Kyou to go, especially when Yuki said he would. (Kagome knew he'd still go though, for Tohru.)

Just then, Shigure remembered something from after Kagome and he got back from going out to lunch, which had been Shigure's way of making up for not having a White Day gift. "OH, excuse me, but I just remembered something... Tohru, you haven't paid the fee for the school trip yet, have you?"

"Eh!" Tohru seemed shocked that he'd known.

Kagome explained that Tohru's grandpa had called saying the teacher had called him about it. He offered to pay if he needed to. That led to Tohru revealing that she'd had expenses last month. However, she'd solved it with the teacher in charge of it, who'd reminded her that she still owed him the money. Shigure was in the middle of asking about it when he, Yuki, Kyou, and Kagome realized that she'd spent so much on chocolate for Valentine's Day she ended up broke. Kyou was getting pissed off, but remembered that it was Tohru and that Kagome wouldn't like it if he blew up about something like that... So he sent her to take the next bath.

"Good job! You managed to hold back your anger." Shigure said.

"Of course chocolates don't fall from the sky, she paid for them herself..." Kyou said, almost to himself.

"...Why didn't I think of that?" Yuki wondered, making Kagome wonder if he thought he was infallible.

This just made Kyou finally blow up. "Because she always just smiles and laughs! Who could've thought of that!"

Kyou then proceeded to complain about she only does things for others instead of for herself, that she's an idiot because she'll end up with nothing. Kagome found herself not needing to intervene... because Momiji stepped up to the plate. He told them all about a story classmates of his read together. It was about a 'foolish & gullible' traveler who was cheated out of all of his possessions by sob stories. When he was left without even clothes, he traveled through the woods out of embarrassment. However, demons that wanted to eat him pulled similar tricks. Eventually he was left with only his head. The last demon, who he'd given his eyes to, claimed that he'd given him a present. He'd lied, it was only a piece of paper with the word idiot on it. The traveler didn't know this, and so cried without end out of happiness, thanking the demon and saying that he was so happy, that no one had given him a gift before. Then he died.

Momiji's next words really touched Kagome. "Everyone... just laughed... but then... I closed my eyes... and I thought deeply about the story of the tourist... Deeply thinking about that story of how many times he was lied to and when he only had his head left, he still thankfully cried... And then... I understood it... Ah, that's "love", isn't it?"

Shigure, knowing what he meant, smiled and patted Momiji on the head. Momiji then continued his little 'speech'. "Loss... all sorts of pain... He never thought about it... the tourist never thought of himself... Even though he's an idiot to lots of people... To me, he's not an idiot at all. A lot of people would take the chance to cheat him, but I would never do that... I would want to make him happy, and that's all. Yuki? … Kyou? Do you think of him as an idiot? Close your eyes... what are you thinking about?"

It was obvious to all of them, it was clearly like Tohru. Kagome hugged him, knowing that the two teens now understood a little better.

"Thank you, Momiji. You're certainly bright for your age." Kagome praised, "I'm not surprised in the slightest that she did that... You have to have noticed that Uotani-chan and Hanajima-chan are her only friends outside the Sohmas. How could she not want to thank people who mean so much to her after all they'd done for her?"

Later that night, Kagome insisted on helping Tohru with her hair. Tohru was clearly lost in thought. Kagome didn't disrupt her chain of thought.

"... Kagome?" Tohru said to get her attention.

"Yes, Tohru?"

"Do you know Akito-san?" Tohru asked.

"Yes, actually. Why? Is my letter bothering you? I only knew that the way everyone probably talks about him would most likely worry you, especially if you met him." Kagome said, having an idea as to the answer but wanting Tohru to speak her mind.

Tohru shook her head. "No, not yet. I don't like judging people before I meet them."

"Then... have you met him already?" Kagome asked.

"Not... exactly. At least, I don't think it really counts if it was him." Tohru said.

"Oh?" Kagome encouraged her to continue.

"When Hatori-san had me come the the main house, there was a boy a little older than me leaning on an open window. There was something different about him... I got a strange feeling."

Kagome smiled, this was unexpected... and possibly promising. "It was probably him. Don't worry about it, his bark is much worse than his bite. If someone told you about Hatori's eye, that is very different from the Akito I know. Just be yourself, and you should be fine. Like Kyoko always told you. Just... don't let what others say scare you off. He could use a friend like you, I bet."

The next day, as Kagome predicted Kyou told Tohru he'd go not even a half hour after breakfast... Which earned her 500 yen ($5) from Shigure. After Kagome and Shigure sent off the four teens, (Kagome just knew that Tohru thought Momiji was a kid) Shigure looked at Kagome.

"Kagome?"

"Yes, Shigure?"

"What are you planning, exactly?" Shigure asked.

Kagome didn't bother denying it. "I'm going to pay a visit to Akito."

Shigure wasn't surprised. He knew that Akito, who was only a little younger than Kagome, was also one of her friends among the Soumas. He almost pitied Akito. He just hoped that she figuratively succeeded in knocking some sense into him.

A little later, Kagome arrived at the Souma house by herself. Shigure stayed behind because he wanted to work on the manuscript he would pretend he hadn't done in order to mess with his editor. She went right in and to where she knew his room is. There was a maid or two who tried to stop her, but she ignored them. Before long, she reached her destination. She knocked on the door three times to let Akito know she'd arrived- as she usually did- and walked in.

"Akito-kun, are you here?" Kagome said.

"Who's disturbing me? I thought I said I wanted to be left alone." said a voice.

"Aww, Akito-kun, and here I thought that you might have missed me." Kagome said, pretending to pout.

As she entered the room, she saw Akito. Having turned at the voice- for only one female talked to him in a way similar to the way Shigure talks to people when he's teasing or being silly. (Or ridiculous, depending on who you asked.) He recognized her, and was surprised.

"Kagome-chan? Is that you?" Akito asked.

"Hai, Akito-kun." Kagome replied.

"When did you get back?" Akito said.

"Oh? Didn't anyone tell you know I was coming? I did move into a house that is technically Souma property." Kagome replied, "I was sure that Shigure or Hatori would mention it."

Akito sighed. "Knowing Shigure, he thought it would be funny to surprise me. Speaking of, how are things with him?"

Kagome blushed at that. Akito smirked knowingly.

"So the dog finally made his move, did he?" Akito teased.

Kagome sighed internally, happy that he at least hadn't changed that much. "Akito... I heard about Hatori's eye."

Akito's eyes darkened slightly in anger before a slightly tired, regretful look came on his face. He looked away from Kagome, ashamed at his actions. He wasn't a fool. Akito knew very well why that tragedy was so worrying for those who he considered friends.

"I'd... overheard Kana talking to a maid she'd befriended the night before. She told the maid when congratulated about her relationship with Hatori but the news that the maid wasn't either surprising or upsetting. Kana told the maid that she'd never pictured things going so far... That when the relationship started, it was little more than a crush on her part. When Kana of all people spoke up when the two of them approached me the next day... I don't know what happened." At this point, Akito was holding his head in his hand.

Kagome approached him. "Akito... does Hatori know?"

He only shook his head. "I only apologized in private, admitting that I wasn't sure what had happened. When Kana was in critical condition from depression, all I could do was tell him as tactfully and gently as I could that the best way to save her was to make her forget... that it seemed to be what she wanted. How could I tell Hatori that the first woman he cared that deeply about in a romantic way didn't feel any where near as strongly for him? I already forget that he probably figured it out through her parting words to him when she left not knowing what had been between them."

Kagome only hugged him. 'Akito no baka...' she thought. "Akito-kun... What about Tohru Honda?" she asked.

"The girl staying with Shigure? As far as I can see, she's taking away the zodiac from me." Akito said, practically huffing.

Kagome shook her head. "Akito... aren't you doing the exact same thing you told me I shouldn't do when I told you about the Band of Seven? You were the one who told me not to judge to quickly when it came to Sesshomaru or Naraku... that there hadn't been much Naraku himself or his incarnations did that was truly horrible. You were able to tell right away that there was something fishy where Naraku was concerned. And... you were the one who told me to be careful of Inuyasha."

"Naraku? And the mutt? What exactly happened, Kagome-chan?"

"Naraku had been the name of a youkai that fused with but was overtaken by Onigumo... And Inuyasha betrayed us. I was stuck in the Feudal Era a whole year no thanks to him having Kikyo seal the well." Kagome said.

This time, Akito hugged Kagome. "Kagome-chan... what does that have to do with Honda-san?"

Kagome smiled. "Akito-kun, Tohru-chan is my cousin."

"... I suppose I can see it, the way Shigure talks about her." Akito admitted.

"Oh? Haven't you met her?" Kagome asked.

"Not really; though I do know what she looks like." Akito said.

"You do, do you?" Kagome said.

"Close to New Years, right after Momiji insisted on meeting her, Hatori had her come secretly to talk to him. I saw her on her way in and out." Akito said.

"You didn't talk to her?" Kagome asked.

"I only saw her from my window. I got a strange feeling in my chest looking at her." Akito replied.

Kagome raised an eyebrow but said nothing. Mentally, she was grinning like the Cheshire Cat. "What did you think?"

"I don't really know what to think. Especially after our eyes met." Akito admitted; Kagome knew that he was as close to pouting as he gets.

"Akito... you do know that nothing will be solved by acting like that woman, right? She can't hurt you or anyone you care about anymore." Kagome said.

Akito sank to his knees and hid his face in his hands as if he were a frightened child. "... That woman's blood... flows in my veins. I've already mistreated most of the Zodiac in one way or another. What if I'm as bad as her?"

Kagome held him as if he really were a frightened child. "Akito... the words of wisdom you gave me when I needed someone to talk to about my misadventures, your regret at past actions, and your fear alone are proof that you are nothing like her and never will be. She gave birth to you, but you are not related to her. You are Akira-san's son, not hers. Don't forget that."

He sighed tiredly. "What do you suggest I do about Honda-san?"

"Well... I'd say her current living arrangements more than suffice unless she decides to move in with me... and Hatori made sure, I hear, that she has an idea of what she's getting herself into. However, I'd say that in other aspects you start by meeting her yourself. I think you'll find that you're more similar than you would ever have thought." Kagome said.

A few weeks later, spring was starting to come into full bloom and with it the start of the new school year. Tohru was with her friends, Arisa Uotani and Saki Hanajima, and of course Kyou. Yuki, on the other hand, was busy at the moment. It was the very first day of school for the year.

"The new freshman are very cute was well!" Tohru said, in full spring mode, "Kyou and Uo-chan, you two should go and see the school entrance ceremony."

"Annoying." Uotani and Kyou both said, writing off the idea.

"And plus I still have hay fever," continued Uotani as she read something, "if I have to sit still in that place for a few hours, I won't be able to handle it for sure."

"If you take medicine, you will get better!" Kyou said.

"It's no use. I took too much medicine when I was younger." Uotani said, finishing with a sneeze.

"What sort of medicine?" Kyou asked, surprised something like that could be the case.

Just then, Uotani registered Yuki's absence. "By the way... where is the Prince?"

"He's the representative of the Entry Ceremony, so he'll definitely be very busy." Tohru said.

"Oh yeah, I heard he was really tired." Uotani said, "First day at school and he already received a love-heated welcome! This year, the Prince should get the chance to be student council president."

Tohru sweat-dropped. 'Yuki doesn't like to do that sort of thing though...'

"Tohru, at the parent meeting I sensed Shigure was under some tension." Hanajima said.

"Ah... you're here. That's because there are two members of the Souma clan in this year's freshman class... Kagome Nee-chan came too." Tohru said, telling Hanajima what he'd said when it came up and how it resulted in Kagome hitting him over the head for joking around like that even though they were dating. Which resulted in Hanajima calling him an idiot...

"Wait a minute... more Souma members are coming to our school? Are they girls or boys?" Uotani asked.

"It's two boys. One of them was at the cultural festival." Tohru said.

"Kyou, get the two Soumas and bring them here!" Uotani ordered.

"That's right... go and bring them here!" Hanajima said.

"**Ah! Why me!**" Kyou shouted, "Tell Tohru to go, that will do! She needs to go and introduce herself anyway!"

"Okay, I'll go!" Tohru said cheerfully, wanting to see Momiji and Haru anyway.

"Why does it have to be Tohru who goes to do these sorts of things...?" Hanajima asked almost threateningly, right in front of the sitting Kyou."

"Yeah, you should go!" Uotani added.

"**Why do I have to go!** Don't come near me!" Kyou added the second part almost as an afterthought, not liking Hanajima invading his personal space- especially when she was like that.

Tohru stepped in to play mediator. "Ah... ah... Actually, I had wanted to go and say hello anyway. Good thing there is a chance! Kyou, why don't you come with me?"

"Hm... Why is it that even I have to go and see those two guys!" Kyou complained.

"Seeing them at school is a different experience! Maybe you'll be very happy!" Tohru said cheerfully.

Under the force of her enthusiasm, Kyou couldn't bring himself to say no... The two of them were at the door almost before he knew it. Of course, back in the classroom Uotani and Hanajima noticed that he was getting less and less resistant under the force of her encouragement. However, they got a little lost. Kyou got mad when he discovered that she didn't know where to find them any more than he did. So he did the only reasonable thing and asked someone.

"Do you know two Souma guys, one's got blonde hair and the other has got white hair?" he asked a girl first year.

"Yes... yes, they're in my class..." she answered.

"Then tell them to come out!" he basically demanded.

"Right!" said the girl.

As he returned to Tohru, mentally grumbling about the situation, he noticed trouble. Some guys were checking her out and from their words clearly had not-so-innocent intentions. He scared them off without even saying a word. Then berated the confused girl for being so inattentive when alone... but said that with him she could daydream all she liked because she was safe. Just when things were starting to get awkward for Kyou, he was 'saved by the bell', so to speak.

**"Hallo!"**

"Ah! Momiji!" Tohru said, now seeing them approaching.

"Tohru!" Momiji was clearly as excited about seeing Tohru as she was about seeing him.

"Momiji!" Tohru started, "You..."

Just then, Kyou hit Momiji for trying to jump and hug Tohru. **"You idiot!"**

"Kyou... Kyou, calm down..." Tohru said.

Then Haru approached. "How are you..."

"Ah... Hatsuharu." Tohru said, greeting him.

Then Kyou yelled at Momiji... "Why is it that you have to wear the girl's uniform? Too disgusting! Hatsuharu wears a lot of jewelry, but he's better than you!"

"Ah... Does it matter? He looks nice wearing it, that should be enough." Haru interjected.

"I look nice wearing it!" Momiji said.

"Yes, you look very nice wearing it!" Tohru agreed. (She wished she could have take a picture to show Kagome.)

"Looking nice and looking shameful are two different things..." Kyou muttered.

Just then, Haru seemed to notice something. He put both his arms out. Tohru looked to see what he was looking at. It was Yuki approaching. Haru went up to him and greeting him silently.

"Ah... …it's true. Momiji, why are you dressed like that...?" Yuki said.

"Yuki, have you finished all your duties?" Tohru asked.

"No, I haven't finished yet... I only stopped by because I was going to come here anyway." Yuki said.

"Oh, how tiring!" Momiji said, cheerfully.

"...If you think I'm tired, don't give me more trouble." Yuki said.

"Momiji, Hatsuharu, what do you think of the school?" Tohru asked.

That led to Momiji saying that he was told not to show off because people who show off supposedly have girls chasing him... therefore he decided to be the "cool and silent" type in school. Which, of course, cause Kyou to yell about how Momiji wasn't acting anything like that. Then they were interrupted... A crazy idiot claiming showed up, from his shouting he seemed to be the student council president. He was complaining about Haru's jewelry and hair and Momiji's uniform.

When he started yelling at Momiji, making him practically cry because he was wearing it because it looked better, Tohru tried to defend him from the bullying. Which caused the idiot to yell at her... Haru finally snapped... Black Haru appeared and gave it right back to the idiot... It all ended when the poor fool had the audacity to ask for proof that his hair was natural; Black Haru dragged him into the bathroom. He was very shaken when they came out, and they left. The normal/white Haru returned when Kyou and Yuki hit Black Haru on the head for asking the innocent, oblivious Tohru if she wanted to see after she asked how he proved his hair color was natural.

Then the bell rang. Tohru asked if Haru and Momiji wanted to meet her friends after school. They both agreed. Kyou and Yuki just wished they weren't at the same school. Before they could all leave, Momiji said they had to tell Kyou and Yuki something.

As Tohru headed back alone, she noticed someone. She stopped walking. It was a boy a couple years older than her, wearing a long sleeved black shirt and black pants He had black hair and dark violet, almost black eyes... He looked familiar. Tohru was sure he was Akito. She noticed that he was very handsome...

"Aki- Aki...to... san...? Tohru asked.

"Yes... Tohru Honda-san." he replied.

Akito had thought over Kagome's words since she greeted him that first time. She was absolutely right, he'd decided. He needed to meet Tohru for himself. He eventually realized that Haru and Momiji starting high school at the same high school as Kyou, Yuki, and Tohru provided the perfect opportunity.

"...! **Ah! Nice to meet you...!**" Tohru said as she bowed, flustered at meeting the head of the Souma family. She couldn't help but notice that on top of how handsome he was, his eyes were a little like Hatori's... with an underlying pain...

After talking with Kagome and occasionally Shigure, Akito had an idea at the sudden change in demeanor. He was fairly amused. Maybe he would like this "outsider" after all... At a glance she seemed normal, plain even, but...

"Hmph! You're very well- mannered... and you're a kind girl as well. And you're really cute." he said, smiling. It was good getting out of the main house...

Tohru's reaction was even more amusing, adorable even... and proved just how unaware of her good points she was. And he thought Kagome and Shigure had been exaggerating...

"You... You're overstating!" Tohru insisted. 'No one besides her mother and sometimes Kagome had said things quite like that to her...

'It's actually true, though...' "Ahaha! Don't fret. You're really cute." Akito insisted, still smiling. "Sorry I didn't talk to you the last time when you went to the old house. It's because I'm afraid of strangers... You won't get mad, right?" 'Actually, I'd left to greet you but you'd already left with Hatori. I told the maid who saw me that I had wanted some fresh air.'

Tohru seemed genuinely appalled at the last thought, Akito noted. She was definitely different...

"No... No, how could I!" she said.

Akito grinned. "That's great... then... Now, I will introduce myself. I'm the head of the Souma family, Akito nice to meet you."

"Yes, pleased to meet you!" Tohru said. She was flustered again... maybe Akito should make sure he didn't mention him being the head of the Soumas again...

'He's really a lot more... kind and friendly than I'd thought. Kagome Nee-chan was right.' Tohru thought. "I hope that we can become friends!" she said.

"Yuki and the others... please take care of them..." Akito said.

"Of course I will! All of them have come to mean so much to me! I still don't know what to do when they tell me to think of my self more or give me a gift! I'm so grateful for everything everyone's done for me, I don't think I'll ever be able to pay them back..." Tohru said.

"Oh? Why is that, Honda-chan?" Akito asked.

Tohru looked down. "... I... didn't have a single friend until I met Uo-chan my first year of Jr. high... I never admitted this to Shigure-san, or Yuki-kun, or anyone, but... for a long time it was just Kaa-san and me; even with Uo-chan and Hana-chan there there were times I felt lost and helpless until I met Shigure-san and the others."

'So this is what Kagome meant. I think I see what everyone else does.' Akito thought. "Don't doubt your own influence, Tohru Honda-chan. Even Shigure and Hatori have moped less since meeting you. Just try to relax more."

Meanwhile... Kagome, had felt Akito's aura and noticing that it was now quite close to Tohru's aura. Wanting to see him- mostly to see if she was at all correct- she told Shigure where she was going then left. When she found them, they were talking. She couldn't remember the last time she'd seen Akito so happy. Just then, Yuki came along... she followed, wanting to do damage control.

"Akito..." both turned to see Yuki, and Kagome following from a different direction.

"Ah... I really missed you, Yuki!" Akito said. "It seems like since such a long time since we've seen each other. You're taller, and have matured, too."

"What are you doing..." Yuki asked suspiciously, "What have you done to Honda-san!"

Kagome stepped in and bopped Yuki on the head. 'Idiot!' "Don't jump to conclusions!" she said.

Akito answered anyway.'I won't allow him to know what she just said, that must be private.' "... Nothing... Just introducing myself. Right, Tohru-chan? It was just an introduction, right?" Akito winked at her at the last part, silently telling her that he would never tell anyone what she'd said.

Tohru got the message. She also didn't want Yuki to have the wrong idea. "Ah... yes."

Akito stepped closer to Yuki, so he could speak so that Tohru couldn't hear. Kagome just went over to Tohru, knowing what he was doing.

"You look well, Yuki. I can't remember the last time I saw you look so healthy... or so happy. I suppose it's all thanks to Tohru-chan... we really have to thank her. I hope you appreciate her. And Yuki... for all it's worth, I'm sorry for ever having mistreated you in the past. I've been very alarmed all this time at having ever sunk to such a level. Kagome knocked some sense into me... I wonder if she'll ever need to do it to you." he almost whispered. Okay, so he didn't just apologize, he messed with Yuki a little... but he was always so fun to tease...

Yuki, surprisingly, didn't get scared. He was too surprised at the unexpected change in attitude Akito was showing. Akito knew from what Tohru had said that she could in her own way, be protective of her friends, showing this through her extreme care for their overall well-being and happiness. Yes, he decided that he liked Tohru Honda very much. She would be good for the Zodiac.

"Tohru, you two had better get back." Kagome said, noticing the time, "I'm sure Yuki is still busy. He got roped into helping out with everything today, right?"

"Yes... we'd better get back." Akito agreed, "Shigure and the others will surely be worried if we don't show up soon."

As they walked away, they noticed that Kyou had been watching as well. Neither payed attention to it. Then Kagome turned her attention to Akito.

"... I didn't see that much and I couldn't hear anything... but you seemed to be getting pretty friendly, Akito-kun." Kagome teased.

Akito just blushed. However, later on Shigure and Kagome delighted in telling Hatori about it. Especially How during the car ride home, Akito couldn't help but mention one thing in particular that he'd said: "I see why you've seemed so fond of Tohru-chan, Shigure. She's very cute, and I've never seen or heard of any girl or woman being quite like her. Everyone must be very protective of her. I wonder though, what Yuki makes of our encounter..." Hatori almost rose an eyebrow at the two, worried they'd try to play 'matchmaker' again. However, he agreed with them for once: If Kagome was right, this could be very good for both Akito and Tohru.

**Owari**

Next time: It's the anniversary of Kyoko Honda's death. Then, it's time for a trip to a lake. Plus, Akito and Tohru have been getting closer.


	4. a warning for my readers

**There is a scheme brewing up with the FF staff and they're planning to take down any and every story over the M rated section (stories with yaoi, yuri, het lemons, song based stories, extreme violence, etc) ...**

**So on June 23rd, there will be an official Black Out. Authors will not log in, read, or review stories. Those who do not have accounts are also affected by FF's decisions too. Please participate and spread the news! If enough authors take part in this event, FF will know we mean business. Also, if anybody has any information on when this purging on M-rated fics will be please contact me. I would like to know in advance.**

**SPREAD THE WORD!**


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